First Phase of the Copa Libertadores 2009

South America’s Champions League Kicks off on January 27

Jan 27, 2009

The Copa Libertadores, South America's version of the Champions League runs from January 27 until July 8 2009, here are the teams and games for the first phase.

The draw for the group round of the 2009 Copa Libertadores was made in Luque, Paraguay on November 25 2008. This draw resulted in the 38 teams from 11 countries being picked for their group phases respectively and left the qualifiers for the first phase with plenty of time to prepare themselves for the all important home and away legs in order to make it through the spectacle and of the lucrative next round.

The Matches in the First Phase

January 29 – February 3 Deportivo Anzoátegui vs Deportivo Cuenca – Winner 4

Winners of these matches over home and away ties will then be placed into Group Phase. All ties in the Group or Second Phase take place between February 10 and April 29.

The Teams

Estudiantes (Argentina) – 2nd highest average in the Apertura '07, Clausura '08 y Apertura '08

Qualifying for this round having totalled a high points average in the various convolutions of the Argentine league process, the Apertura, Clausura and then another Apertura, legendary player and Estudiantes idol, Captain Juan Sebastian Veron will be hoping to take his team several steps further. In 2008 Estudiantes made it to the last 16 being knocked out by the eventual winners Liga of Quito, Ecuador.

No Bolivian team has ever won the tournament but Real Potosí brings an altogether different issue to the completion, high altitude. Palmeiras will complain about having to play at the lung sheering altitudes of Potosi beneath the towering Cerro Rico. The altitude is their key player and they will use it to its full potential.

Coached by the well respected Wanderly Luxemburgo, Palmeiras’ fortunes appeared to be changing until they saw the draw with Real Potosi! A team with a long history who even lifted the trophy in 1999 when coached by current Chelsea boss Luis Felipe Scolari, Palmeiras will be need to put a large scoreline between themselves and the Bolivians in Sao Paolo.

Their fifteenth appearance in the Copa Libertadores despite never have won the competition, Universidad de Chile have some tricks up their sleave with veteran international Marcelo Salas wearing the captain’s armband and the wily Sergio Markarian as coach. They will be hoping to move beyond their record as Semifinalists in 1970.

This their fifth appearance in the Copa Libertadores Independiente de Medellin will be relishing the one upmanship over their big city rivals Atletico Nacional. The team’s best showing was as semifinalist in 2003.

With some good results but not enough to see them through the group round in 2008, Deportivo Cuenca will be aiming for the last 16.

El Nacional have featured here 21 times but their best showing was in the semifinals in 1985. Since this period the big club has gone into a decline. Perhaps the Ecuadorians can turn it around and follow their national team’s fine showing in the 2010 World Cup qualifying games.

Mexico’s first ever team, also known as the “Tuzos” are coming off the back of several years of growth. They will, like all Mexican teams be fearsome on the break and tough to break down. They had a good showing in the recent FIFA World Club Cup coming in 4th place.

Apparently Nacional is most of Paraguay’s second club, despite having not won a major tournament in 60 years. The Paraguayans usually give as good as they get but perhaps El Nacional of Ecuador will prove too much for them.

In recent years it feels that given the problems in Peruvian football, teams from this nation are here to make up the numbers. Can Sporting Cristal from Lima prove the naysayers wrong? Can they better their runner up title to Cruzeiro in the competition in 1997?

Nine times finalists and five times winners, Penarol have a strong history and tradition in the tournament, however their last triumph as winners was in 1987. Can they turn it around this year under Julio Ribas?

Founded in 2002 in Puerto La Cruz, Deportivo Anzoategui has to the youngest team out there! Their rapid rise may be unprecedented, they will be hoping for good results but probably will be just as content to have been invited to the party.

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